Mary e



M. E. HALL.

(No Model.)

CORSET.

Patente-d Peb. 2.5, 1896.

fwezor/ M 2H@ r-sbn JLA ITO NiTnn STATES ATnNT OFFICE.

MARY E. HALL, OF NEV HAYv EN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRYH. TODD, OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,157, dated February25, 1896.

Application filed November 7,1895. Seria-11%. 568,194. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that l, MARY E. HALL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city and county of New Haven, in theState of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCorsets, fully described and set forth in the following specification,taken in connection with the drawings,which form a part thereof, and inwhich similar letters of reference represent like parts in all theiigures.

Figure l is an inside iiew in perspective of a corset embodying thisinvention. Fig. 2 is an outside perspective view of the breast portionof the corset. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, partly broken away,of the dressguard. Fig. i is a detail perspective view, partly brokenaway, of the former.

This invention rela-tes to corsets, and has for its object theproduction of a corset the breast portion of which will be uniformlyrounded and graceful without relation to the figure of the wea-rer. Toaccomplish this result a dress-guard, the edges of which are curvedoutwardly, with a resilient stiffener near its upper edge, is secured tothe upper edge of the corset and extends from the flap of the corset toa point well under the armpit thereof. This, with another feature of myinvention, consisting of a supplemental piece known as the former,77attached to the inner side of the breast portion and extendinghorizontally therein, overcomes the sinking in of the dress and gives tothe dress a unifornily-rounded and graceful appearance.

In the drawings the corset-body is represented by the letter A, and theupper edge thereof by u. In the upper edge a strip of hone or steel orother suitable material a extends horizontally from the front of thecorset to the part that fits under the arm of the wearer. To this stripis attached the former B,which is of cloth or other material, theupperand lower edges of which are curved and meet at the points b and b.rhe lower edge is formed with a pocket c for a strip of bone or steel C,Eig. 4, and the upper edge, c', is secured tothe edge d of the corset,and the end Z) near the front of the corset, the whole former extendinghorizontally across the breast portion. By this arrangement of\ thestrips c. and C the portion of the corset below the strip o. is roundedout, as shown in Fig. 2, even where the figure of the wearer naturallydoes not tend to accomplish this result. The dressguard D is secured tothe upper edge, a, of the corset, extending horizontally' from the frontflap a2 of the corset to the armpit a3, slightly beyond the end of thestrip a. The upper edge of the dress-guard D is curved outwa-rdly,with apocket d for a strip of bone or steel d' near the edge, and the loweredge is but slightly curved, as shown. The lower edge, d2, being aliixedto the upper edge, a, of the corset, the guard is rounded over, as shownin Fig. 2, and with the corset presents a rounded appearance andprevents the dress of the wearer from sinking in, as stated above.

In Fig. 3 the steel or bone stiffener a is shown inverted in the loweredge of the dressguard; but obviously when the parts are securedtogether the position of the stiffener is on the upper edge of thecorset proper.

Having now fully described my invention, what l desire to secure byLetters Patent isl. The combination in a corset, with the breast portionthereof; of a former extending across the inside of said breast portion,and secured to the upper edge thereof; a dress-guard having its loweredge secured to the upper edge of said corset, and extending from thefiap of the corset to the armpit thereof; the upper and lower edges ofsaid former and dressguard being curved outwardly; the upper edge of thecorset proper and lower edge of the former being provided with aresilient stiffener.

2. The combination in a corset, with the breast portion thereof; adress-guard having its lower edge secured to the upper edge of saidcorset, and extending from the flap of the corset to the armpit thereof;the upper and lower edges of said dress-guard being curved outwardly;and the upper edges of the dress-guard and corset proper being providedwith a resilient stiener, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New Haven, in thecounty of New Haven, State of Connecticut, this th day of November,1895.

MARY E. HALL.

Witnesses:

F. PHILIP FARNSWORTH, GEORGE W. ROBINSON.

IOO

